WHO SHOULD BE TALKING?

REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CUSTOMER THINKS.

Now that is a pretty simple error, isn't it? Ultimately, the OTHER

PERSON has the LAST WORD on any commercial transaction.

Despite this very obvious fact, the emphasis in most sales pitches

or marketing offers is on the presentation, not on what the

customer thinks. Would you like to understand the correct cycle of action? Customer

first - offer second. The more time you take learning about what

your customer thinks and feels, the more likely you are to know

what to say or what to offer.

WHY LEARN WHAT THEY THINK?

Have you ever listened to a great public speaker? Remember when

a sales person really caught your attention? How about a politician

who really hits the mark in a stump speech? These guys just get

you. The common thread that runs through all of these

presentations is this - they seemed to really understand what you

are feeling and thinking. Most public or motivational speakers

appear dozens, if not hundreds of times a year in front of crowds

of people. Because of experience alone, after giving the same talk

many times, they KNOW what turns the audience on.

Same goes with a great sales person. The really good ones ask

their customers questions and really listen to the answers, all the

time. They are constantly adjusting and improving their pitch.

Now you already know politicians run polls constantly about

virtually every position they take. Some people quarrel with this

point, but the fact is that by constantly asking their constituents

what they think, an effective politician can build a great stump

speech. Now let's learn more about how they apply what they learn from

customers.

THE ART OF LISTENING

People like to be listened to and respond to presentations, sales

pitches and product offers that speak to what their needs are. You

can't find out what someone needs unless you ask. People

inherently know when someone HAS LISTENED TO THEM AND IS

RESPONDING TO THEIR NEEDS. If you learn one thing from this

report, it is that fact.

Here is how you can listen in terms of a business environment:

Step One: Before you ask a question, clear your thoughts of any

preconceived notions you may have about the subject you are

addressing. Preconceived notions and prejudices are the blinders

that stop "real" hearing, learning and understanding.

Step Two: When the response to your question is coming back,

make sure you fully understand what is being said.

Step Three: Do not rationalize, bend or otherwise alter the

answer to your question. Take the answers at face value. This is

where preconceived notions can, once again, creep in and

"corrupt" the answer.

Step Four: Let the person know you understood what they said by

fully acknowledging them. In an advertising piece, you do this by

including the answer to your customer's question in the offer, the

copywriting and in the product or service pricing.

Do the above with enough customers and you will know what to

say to them. The question at this point is - how does one apply

this "listening technology" to many, many people.

INTERNET BASED MARKET RESEARCH

The art of listening, on a large scale, can be accomplished through

the use of internet based market research system. Some

companies, such as In Touch Media Group, have built large

databases of people who they can swiftly survey. This is

somewhat similar to the way Nielsen surveys television viewers.

They get information from a very large group of people. If a

company owns a substantial !0survey takers!1 database, one can

quickly question a large portion of people about what they want

and expect from a service or offer. By doing this you are in effect

listening. When a company is truly listening they can succeed.

Bruce Prokopets

Executive Editor

Press Direct International

www.pressdirectinternational.org

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www.intouchmediagroup.com